The present invention relates to a slowly digestible starch product prepared by enzymatically debranching amylose-containing starches and allowing the resultant linear chains to crystallize to a highly crystalline form.
Starch is a major source of energy in the typical American diet. Refined starches are mostly eaten cooked, and in this form generally have a high glycemic index, being quickly and substantially digested. Some refined starches resist enzymatic hydrolysis in the small intestine, such that the starch is not substantially broken down until it reaches the large intestine where it is utilized by resident microorganisms (resistant starch).
A need has been recognized for a slowly digestible starch, one which provides the consumer with glucose over an extended time period. Such slowly digestible starch would thus be useful for both food and drug applications.
Such slowly digestible starch would be an excellent carbohydrate for use in foods, including medical foods and dietary supplements, for both diabetic and prediabetic individuals. Such slowly digestible starch would also be useful for healthy individuals wishing to moderate their glucose response or achieve sustained energy release via consumption in foods.
Research literature indicates a role for slowly digestible starches in health, as a result of glucose release over an extended time period. Research suggests health-related benefits may include increased satiety for longer time periods (i.e. for use in weight management), sustained energy release (i.e. for enhancing athletic performance including training), and improvements in concentration maintenance and memory.
Such slowly digestible starches could also be useful as drugs, e.g. for reducing the risk of developing diabetes. Further, the slowly digestible starches may be useful for the treatment of hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and dysfibrinolysis. It may also be useful for treating obesity.
Surprisingly, it has now been discovered that a slowly digestible starch may be prepared by enzymatically debranching amylose-containing starches to result in a mixture of long and short linear chains.